Arctic Cat 550 Won’t Start
Question
Why won’t my 2014 Arctic Cat 550 4-wheeler start up and begin to run? It normally cranks over the first time I turn the ignition key. What are the basic things that I should check when the engine will not turn on and run?
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3 years
2021-01-10T02:47:24+00:00
2021-01-10T02:47:24+00:00 1 Answer
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Answer ( 1 )
Arctic Cat 550 ATV Won’t Start
What is the exact symptom? Does the motor crank but not fire up? Does the engine crank over at all? Does the vehicle have sufficient electrical power? Is the starter motor engaging? Maybe your definition of “Arctic Cat wont start” means the engine is hard to start up after continued cranking, or maybe it starts but stalls easily. It would help if we had more information.
Let’s start with the basics since we are low on information. An internal combustion engine needs 3 basic elements to fire. It needs compression, spark and fuel. If one of these essential ingredients is missing the motor will not turn on and begin to work.
Fuel System
Check the fuel system. If starting is impaired be sure to check if the gas is contaminated. If it is, drain the gas tank and fill with new fresh fuel. If the fuel quality is good, determine if fuel is reaching the fuel injector. Inspect the following if fuel in not reaching the injector…
• Fuel tank vent hose blocked. Remove obstruction from vent hose.
• Fuel hose obstructed or pinched. Clear blockage or replace hose.
• Dirty or obstructed fuel screens. Clean or replace inlet screen – valve screen.
• Fuel pump malfunction. Install a replacement fuel pump.
No Spark
Weak spark or no spark is always a likely culprit when the Arctic Cat 550 engine will not activate. Always test to make sure the spark plug has enough electrical energy to ignite the air-fuel mixture. Just because there is spark, doesn’t mean it’s sufficient spark. If there is no spark, check the following…
• Spark plug fouled. Clean or replace.
• Spark plug electrode burned. Replace plug.
• Spark plug wet. Clean and dry plug.
• Magneto defective. Replace stator coil.
• ECM defective. Replace the ECM.
• Ignition coil defective. Replace with a new coil.
• High-tension lead is open or shorted. Replace the high tension lead.
Compression Too Low
If your Arctic Cat 550 gets a lot of abuse, you might want to check the cylinder compression pressure. Your Arctic Cat all-terrain vehicle will not start with low compression, but it will crank. Here is a list of things you should check if the compression is too low…
• Valve clearance out of adjustment. Adjust valve clearance to factory spec.
• Valve guides worn. Replace or repair valve guides.
• Valve timing is incorrect. Replace cam chain/sprocket and retime the engine.
• Cylinder bore excessively worn. Replace cylinder.
• Piston rings worn. Replace piston rings.
Check the electrical system if the starter motor does not activate or turns too slowly. Does the battery hold a charge? Does the battery discharge too fast? You can test the battery for free at any automotive part store.
Make sure the starter button is not defective. Be certain all electrical connections are tight and fuse is seated correctly and not burned out. Lastly, if you can provide more information in regards to the no-start symptom, then I can provide more detailed advice.